Archer Aviation, a company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, has partnered with InterGlobe Enterprises. This conglomerate operates in India’s travel and hotel industries and will launch an all-electric air taxi service nationwide in 2026.
If all goes according to plan, the South Asian country will become the second foreign market outside of the United States to experience the company’s ambitious air taxi operations. The first market was the United Arab Emirates.
Both firms stated on Thursday that the service will be “cost-competitive with ground transportation” and increase urban mobility in the country with the most people on the planet by using low-noise electric air taxis. This is contingent upon regulatory permits and clearances, announced on Thursday. The collaboration intends to provide financing for acquiring anything from one to two hundred of Archer’s “Midnight” aircraft. The vertical takeoff and landing aircraft includes seating for a maximum of four people in addition to the pilot, and it can cover a distance of up to 100 miles in flight.
The electric air-taxi service plans to launch in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Its initial goal is to complete a trip of around 17 miles in the nation’s capital in only seven minutes. This trip would typically take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete by automobile.
Archer and InterGlobe want to collaborate with domestic enterprises to run the electric aircraft, finance and construct the vertiport infrastructure, and train pilots and other staff required for the operations. Aside from the urban air taxi service, both firms are looking into the possibility of using the aircraft for a variety of other purposes, such as the transportation of goods, the management of logistics, the provision of medical and emergency services, and private corporate and charter services.
Archer, a company that counts Boeing and United Airlines among its investors, successfully secured an agreement for $142 million in August to deliver up to six midnight trips to the United States Air Force. The business in California intends to use its electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to compete with automobile commuting in metropolitan areas. In August, the Federal Aviation Administration approved the business to begin testing electric vertical takeoff and landing flights in the United States. Additionally, it just signed a memorandum of understanding with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office to commence operations in the United Arab Emirates in 2026.
“India is one of, if not the largest opportunity for eVTOL aircraft utilization in the world, as it is home to the world’s largest population of over 1.4 billion people, and its largest cities face some of the greatest congestion challenges in the world,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer, in a statement that was prepared in advance. “India is home to the world’s largest population of over 1.4 billion people, and its largest cities face some of the greatest congestion challenges in the world.” “Archer’s all-electric Midnight aircraft is designed to provide a revolutionary transportation solution that can help address these congestion issues,” says the company. “Electric batteries power the entire aircraft.”
InterGlobe Enterprises, the primary investor in India’s leading airline, IndiGo, intends to broaden its market share in the low-cost transportation sector through this new cooperation.
“We are excited at this new opportunity of bringing an effective, futuristic, and sustainable transport solution by introducing Archer’s electric aircraft to India,” said Rahul Bhatia, group managing director of InterGlobe. “We are excited at this new opportunity of bringing an electric aircraft from Archer to India.”
The country has experienced significant growth in the number of passenger and commercial cars in the past few years. At the same time, there has been limited road extension and non-uniform highway geometrics among cities. As a result of these factors, urban transportation in India has begun to face issues. Although state officials have stressed using public transport to minimize traffic congestion, the country has not yet found an appropriate solution and is looking into solutions from the next generation, such as air taxis and hyperloop, to obtain a sustainable future.
